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Thank you Montana! So, so true! Someone just posted a picture of a buck on another site I look at, claims it scores 203 or something like that. Truth be told, it is a 160 buck at best. I never feel the need to let someone know that their buck is not what they think... but it does get rather old. There are not a lot of 170+ bucks running around on public land in most areas.

I have been fortunate enough to have killed plenty of deer. As far as score and what I consider a trophy took until this year to get a 175" buck. It seemed I couldn't get anything better then a 160". While out just looking in hard to draw areas with extremely good trophy quality the 170"-190" are always around but I can never draw those areas. I agree with Montana to be able to kill a 170"+ buck consistently each year is very doubtful without paying the big bucks. I'm sure there are guys out there that do it but not me.

I too would consider a 170 inch buck a true trophy as the only one I have killed was when I was 13 on a juniors hunt in AZ, that was 14 years ago. Tho I primarally hunt coues deer we still usually draw archery muley tags in New Mexico and my brother was able to kill a 180 inch buck 2 years ago. We have hunted two buck for the past 2 years and I was able to find one of the bucks shed while scouting last year and I can tell you that in no way is this buck anywhere near 24 inches wide. We scored his shed at 96 2/8 and guessed at tops this buck only gets an 18 innch inside spread and with the other side being very close to identical he would go around 208-210. But in that unit you have to be an idiot to pass on a 150-160 inch buck. Those monsters are just so few and far between. Like said before I believe there are more monster bulls killed than muleys but that is because I live in an awesome elk unit which is terrible for deer. it just all depends on where you hunt.

I can't tell with only one pic. Just like you can't judge a deer walking away from you. There has to be many angles of a deer to properly judge a deer and also pics are very deceiving. But he looks like a nice one to me.

Spending time in the field, even when others won't. As the old saying goes, "You can't kill the big one sitting on the couch." Spending time in field both in, and out of, season is the most important factor.